Remote working and learning eliminate face-to-face interactions, which is a critical component in the community college world. As a result, students and even staff are beginning to look elsewhere for…
COVID-19
This page is updated regularly sharing articles by, and interviews with, higher education leaders reflecting on the industry’s response to COVID-19 and its broader implications.
Related Resources
The EvoLLLution®, and its parent company Modern Campus®, are developing additional resources designed to help leaders stay on top of the constant changes happening across this industry. Access these critical resources now:
• Innovation Is Not Our Antithesis: Lessons from Higher Education’s Response to COVID-19
• Coronavirus on Campus: 7 Ways to Use Your CMS as a Super Tool for Crisis Management
• Webinar Series: Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis
• Your Ultimate Guide to Serving Learners Remotely
• Your Ultimate Guide to Offering Great Online Programming
• Continuing Education’s Role in the Post-Pandemic New Normal
• Webinar Series: Positioning Your Digital Presence for the New Normal
Financial Modeling for Your Online Product Mix Beyond the Fall Term
Larenda Mielke | Vice President of Higher Education, Kaufman HallIn a previous article, I discussed how financial modeling work could be adapted to inform decision-making and understand the financial implications of continuing the fall 2020 term online. Since financial…
In transferring to a remote environment, it’s time for institutions to rethink their educational offerings. Unbundling credit programs provides learners with fast and consumable options that will help get them…
The Role of IT and CIOs During this Time of Uncertainty
Paige Francis | CIO and Vice President for IT, University of TulsaWorking and learning from home puts a strain on any technical support team. Even getting set up at home can be tricky, which is why institutions need to lay out…
As more learners will be looking to upskill, institutions need to quickly respond to get them back into the workforce. Although they may have an idea of what skills learners…
Adapting Technical Education into the Online Environment
Darin Brush | President and CEO, Davis Technical CollegeAuthor’s note: I began this article when I thought we were well outside the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic and before it had spread to the point that we needed…
With employers and students looking to close the gap in workforce skills, it’s critical for them to know what skills are in need the most. Postsecondary institutions need to be…
Building a Workforce Community After Crisis
Ian Roark | Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development and Innovation, Pima Community CollegeSo far, we’ve seen the COVID-19 crisis push institutions beyond their comfort zones. Many are aware of the anxieties of rapidly changing course, but the pandemic has brought on a…
With unemployment numbers growing the longer we’re in this pandemic, the number of enrollments will begin to soar. It’s up to postsecondary institutions—particularly community colleges—to get these folks back into…
Don’t Let A Good Crisis Go to Waste
Eric Heiser | Provost of Academic and Student Affairs, Central Ohio Technical CollegeWith a future that remains unclear, one thing that will surely come out of this pandemic is an increase in hybrid courses. In order to prepare for this change, institutions…
Higher education has never before been in a situation that has left everyone in isolation. It causes stress and anxiety for both faculty and students. The focus can’t solely be…
Responding to Students’ Needs During Crisis
Ross O'Hara | Director of Behavioral Science and Education, Persistence PlusStudents were abruptly sent home. Classes were rapidly converted to remote instruction. Fears and anxiety abound. Hopefully the spring of 2020 will be remembered as an aberration in the annals…
Health care workers are more essential than ever in this pandemic, and institutions specialized in health services are faced with their own challenges for the high demand role. These programs…
Established Online Education is Not Immune to COVID-19: Strategies for Serving Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Jamie Holcomb | Vice President of Instructional Design and Innovation, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Jasmeial “Jazz” Jackson, Ryan Korstange, Jeffrey HallStudents who were taking college classes exclusively online prior to the COVID-19 pandemic are affected by it, too. To this point, much press has been devoted to the transition of…
As universities and colleges face the remote environment, they’ll be faced with the greater challenge of adapting these practices back into their traditional infrastructure. Establishing a strong foundation now will…
Failure is Not an Option
Alan Yeck | Director of Professional and Continuing Education, Elmira CollegePrior to COVID-19, technology wasn’t widespread enough for online education to even be an option for any health-related closures until, at the earliest, the swine flu pandemic of 2009. Prior…
In this crisis, thousands of institutions are losing revenue, and expenses are growing due to education being moved to a new and remote environment. With little to no budgetary flexibility,…
This is the Push We Need for an Online Future
Ian Allen | Executive Director of the College of Extended Learning, University of New BrunswickGoing online may be more important now than ever, as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes everyone to explore new options. Of course, as institutions begin to settle into a remote learning…
When social distancing was put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities were concerned. The first thought most institutional leaders had was how to ensure learners…
Taking a Page from Continuing Ed’s Playbook
Ramu Nagappan | Assistant Dean, UC Berkeley ExtensionAll crises might not be the same, but they can prepare you for any unforeseen situations to come. With the COVID-19 crisis, CE divisions were faced with the challenge of…
COVID-19 brought American life to a screeching halt-- in March, no less. A nail-biting month for admissions offices became a hair-pulling one. Predictive enrollment models disintegrated overnight. As we stand…
Sticking With Your Mission Through a Remote Shift
Sandra Kurtinitis | President, Community College of Baltimore CountyDealing with a large institutional shift is difficult. Trying to retain enrollment rates in the midst of it is even harder. With the future unknown, it’s important to prepare for…
As continuing ed divisions take the lead in helping their respective institutions enter the remote or online environment, their teaching and programmatic styles are gaining more attention than ever before.…
Higher Education During a Pandemic (Part 2)
Nan Travers | Director of the Center for Leadership in Credential Learning, SUNY Empire State CollegeIn March 2020, the novel coronavirus pandemic invaded, and education turned on a dime, moving to distance education to comply with social distancing rules. Although some faculty and students already…
Why financial modeling is important The COVID-19 crisis has forced higher education institutions across the country to deliver remote, distance education. After the crisis, many institutions will want to move…
Maintaining A Strong Infrastructure for Remote Learning
Joseph Moreau | Vice Chancellor of Technology, Foothill-De Anza Community College DistrictIT is often referred to as the backbone of an institution. Now more than ever, colleges and universities are looking to their colleagues in IT to support their shift to…
One of the toughest challenges of remote learning is ensuring everyone has the same access to digital resources. To do this, tools and processes need to be established. The benefit…
How COVID is Affecting Online Education
Becky Takeda-Tinker | President, Colorado State University—Global Campus Andrew DixonSome institutions are able to make the switch to remote learning faster and smoother than others. For online institutions – it might seem like business as usual. That doesn’t mean…
Institutions have been placed into the unfamiliar territory of remote learning. In the race to move programming to distance formats in the wake of COVID-19, staff and faculty have leaned…
The COVID-19 Effect: Shifting into The New Normal
Chris LaBelle | Interim Senior Director of CSU Online, Colorado State UniversityThe initial wave of panic in response to the pandemic is slowing deflating in higher education. Institutions are beginning to grasp what is happening and how they’re responding. With no…